Dead in Vineyard Sand [Hardcover]

Philip R. Craig (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2, 2006

From esteemed crime novelist Philip R. Craig comes a scorching new Martha's Vineyard mystery, the latest in a series renowned not only for its beautiful setting but also for its fine appreciation of an extraordinary island's rich heritage.

It's a picture-perfect Vineyard summer, and ex-Boston cop J.W. Jackson finds time for lazy afternoons at the beach with his wife, Zee, and the kids. Nothing could be better, but of course not everything is peaceful, even on this idyllic island. A teenage girl has already drowned in an early-summer tragedy. The more superficial conflict du jour centers on a group of cyclists, led by irascible environmentalist Henry Highsmith, who fervently oppose new construction, including plans for a luxurious new golf course.

J.W. is not part of the golf course battle, at least not until he and a bad-tempered Highsmith come to blows at the local fish shop. The dispute is not over fish. J.W. parked his vehicle too close to Highsmith's fancy bike, an unpardonable offense. Is there more to the J.W.-Highsmith feud than seems to be the case? Some people think so, especially when an SUV suspiciously like J.W.'s forces Highsmith's wife, Abigail, off her bicycle, sending her to the emergency room.

When J.W.'s rich businessman friend Glen Norton invites him to join a golfing foursome at Waterwoods, the island's prettiest club, he's happy to accept. At least he's certain not to run into Highsmith on the manicured greens. J.W. is not much of a golfer, but Zee hopes he'll get some exercise and stay out of trouble.

Wrong. Trouble is waiting for J.W. in the sand trap at the fourth hole -- the sand trap with the human hand protruding from below. The hand is connected to a body, and it's clearly a case of murder. With circumstantial evidence pointing to J.W., he must act fast, peeling back layers of deceit surrounding old Vineyard families in his search for a killer.

Alive with the sights, smells, and tastes of Philip R. Craig's beloved island, Dead in Vineyard Sand includes three classic recipes, featuring the decadent Lobsters, Croissants, and Champagne. Just in time for summer reading, this appealing blend of Vineyard ambiance and intrigue will thrill both beachgoers and city dwellers looking for vicarious pleasure.

Includes three delicious recipes

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Craig's delightful 17th Martha's Vineyard mystery (after 2005's Vineyard Prey), ex-Boston cop J.W. Jackson once again displays his knack for stumbling on dead bodies. This time he finds a human hand sticking out of a sand trap on a Vineyard golf course. Since the hand turns out to belong to Henry Highsmith, a cranky environmentalist with whom our hero had an earlier altercation, Jackson himself falls under suspicion. After a truck with a description matching Jackson's is spotted running Highsmith's wife off the bike path, his troubles really begin. Jackson charms as ever, with his devotion to fishing, clamming and cookery and with his tart commentary on such subjects as gas guzzling SUVs, golfers and cyclists.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

J. W. Jackson must clear himself of a murder accusation in this seventeenth Martha's Vineyard mystery. J. W. has an altercation at the fish market with rabid environmentalist Henry Highsmith, who seems spoiling for a fight; then, when J. W.'s golf foursome finds Highsmith's body buried in a sand trap, J. W. finds himself a suspect. The fact that Henry's wife, Abigail, is run off the road on her bicycle by an SUV that looks like J. W.'s only adds fuel to the fire. The former cop turned housesitter, fisherman, and performer of odd jobs investigates while taking care of his young children in this family-centered mystery. (J. W. is likely to take his kids along to question suspects when he isn't building them a rope bridge in the backyard.) A wonderfully evoked sense of place and a sensitive exploration of environmental issues combine with likable characters and plenty of humor in this long-running and always entertaining series. The resolution of the mystery is not much of a surprise this time, but series fans will find their pleasure elsewhere. Sue O'Brien
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 242 pages
• Publisher: Scribner (June 2, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743270444
• ISBN-13: 978-0743270441
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #853,377 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another pleasant visit to Martha's Vineyard, June 28, 2006

By 

Karen Potts (Lake Jackson, Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dead in Vineyard Sand (Hardcover)

J.W. Jackson, fisherman, father, and gourmet cook, returns for another adventure on Martha's Vineyard. This time he almost comes to blows with Henry Highsmith, an Ivy League professor and staunch environmentalist who takes exception to J.W.'s SUV which Highsmith feels is parked too close to his politically-correct bicycle. Soon, a vehicle which looks a lot like J.W.'s is seen almost driving Highsmith's wife's bike off the road. The last straw occurs when J.W. is invited to play golf, and he discovers Highsmith's body buried in a sand trap. The police decide that Jackson had the motive and the opportunity to commit the murder, so this motivates J.W. to find the real killer. Was it someone who supported the building of a new golf course against Highsmith's protests or was it a more personal matter? Jackson applies the skills he learned as a Boston policeman to solve the murder. This delightful series combines mystery with J.W.'s home life which includes his beloved wife Zee and his two adventuresome children. Another great feature of the books is the perfect background of Martha's Vineyard which gives me the urge to travel to this beautiful island. Craig always provides a good read!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars maddening, yet fun, December 30, 2006

By 

Paul Skinner (Manassas, Virginia United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dead in Vineyard Sand (Hardcover)

This is the most humorous of the Philip Craig books I have read so far. The book starts with a casual reference to a beach drowning in early summer on Martha's Vineyard, and then hits the golf course. Our hero, J.W. Jackson is coaxed into rejoining a game he hadn't played in about 30 years, and by the time he reached the fourth hole - ut oh - a surprise! Shifty looking golf partners add to the intrigue. A gun appears in a most unexpected place! So what is going on? As J.W. becomes implicated in a murder, he fights to clear his name, by poking around all over the Vineyard and asking questions trying to make sense of strange circumstances. All kinds of red herrings abound in this well thought out plot. Bravo Mr. Craig, well done!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Above average in the series, November 30, 2007

By 

Roger Long "longrush" (Port Clinton, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dead in Vineyard Sand (Hardcover)

If one overlooks the minor annoyances and irksome mannerisms in the Martha's Vineyard series, it has been a nice run, and this is one of the better offerings. It is the editorial intrusions that I fine annoying: Craig's (J.W.'s) love of the gun, the cozy cat mystery recipes, the cute things kids say, Zee's sexiness, etc.

That said, this book does evoke the summer sun and blue sea on an island of paradise--with a murder or two thrown in for contrast. The plot is better than average for the series, with the body of a golf course hater turning up buried in the sand trap on hole four at the country club. The characters are well-drawn, certainly above average for the series. Still, it is the atmosphere I found most interesting.

With Philip Craig gone from the world, there will be no more pleasant excursions to Martha's Vineyard. I've never physically been there, but through Mr. Craig's books I have spent pleasant hours on the beaches and on the streets of Edgartown.